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Monday, 22 February 2016

Fifth anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake

It
is now five years on from the devastating earthquake of 2011. Many
people still can’t get their lives back and still more are in real
pain.

The
truest words come from the Wizard who talks of the incompetence and
the inhumanity (he could have added the corruption). On the day when
they had a meeting in Cathedral Square to talk about the event they
brought in the trucks to remove all the graffiti – the signs of
pain.

"Time
to move on”, says our criminal prime minister, John Key.

Five
years on Christchurch remembers the 2011 earthquake

More
than 1000 people gathered at Christchurch's Botanic Gardens for the
public ceremony.

They
heard from the Governor General and the leader of the Farmy Army,
which organised volunteers to help people clean up following the
quakes.

Christchurch
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said this would be the last time the council
would lead the memorial event.

She
said the Earthquake Families Trust, which is made up of family
members of the people who died or were seriously injured in the
disaster, had been asked to manage the event next year.

It
will be held at the new earthquake memorial which is currently under
construction.

Today's
ceremony ended with the reading of the names of the 185 people who
died, a minute's silence and the laying of wreaths.

Other
events to commemorate the earthquake are being held across the day.

Christchurch
resident Terri Green said she attended the memorial service as a
commitment to those who had lost so much that they were not
forgotten.

She
said she was deeply touched by the reading of the list of the 185
people who died in the quake.

"As
I stand here listening to the names being read out I think how
dreadful, what if my son's name was read out, you know and the only
thing that can support you is the fact that everyone still cares -
and we do - we still care for those people who lost other people and
all those people who are still struggling. And we have to remember
that because Christchurch isn't over yet."

Mrs
Green said many in Christchurch were also still dealing with broken
homes, and they too should not be forgotten.

The
memorial service for the fifth anniversary of the February
earthquake. Christchurch City Council

Japanese national remembered

Dignitaries
and families of Japanese nationals who lost their lives in the
earthquake five years ago today are gathering at Christchurch's
Transitional Cathedral to pay their respects.

Of
the 185 people killed when the earthquake struck shortly; 28 of them
were Japanese.

Members
of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Canterbury Japanese
Choir will join forces this evening to put on a concert commemorating
the anniversary.

Donations
received at the service will go towards the construction of a bell
tower at the Transitional Cathedral.

There
was a strong Japanese contingent at the Civic Memorial Service in the
botanical gardens this afternoon, including the Japanese minister of
foreign affairs.

Convention
centre decision not far off

On
the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake, the prime
minister has revealed a decision on the future of a new convention
centre is not far away.

The
$280 million project was announced with great fanfare in 2012 as a
way to encourage more private sector investment in the devastated
centre of the city.

Three-and-a-half-years
on there is still no set timeframe for when it will be built.

On
a visit to the city today, John Key has said rushing the project
could result in the government paying too much for it.

But
he said the gap was narrowing between what the government wanted and
what was wanted by the consortium chosen to build the centre.

Last
year Mr Key hinted the project could be scaled back in size

Assault
charge after something thrown at Brownlee

A
41-year-old man has been charged with assault after an incident in
which something was thrown at Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry
Brownlee at the memorial service in Christchurch today.

A
video of the incident on Newshub shows Gerry Brownlee immediately
after the incident standing and wiping a brown substance from the top
of his head.

A
large amount of the substance can be seen on the left hand side of
his jacket and over his tie.

After
being offered a handkerchief to help clean up the mess from another
guest, Mr Brownlee hands the handkerchief back and quickly leaves,
with Labour Party leader Andrew Little seen patting him, in what
looked like a show of support, on the back as he left.

Earlier
a spokesperson for Mr Brownlee said the incident happened while the
minister was seated at the service.

The
spokesperson did not want to say what it was that was thrown at the
minister, but said it was not very pleasant.

He
said the minister was fine following the incident and did not wish to
comment any further.

Labour
Party leader Andrew Little said it was "entirely inappropriate"
for someone to use the Christchurch memorial service to protest
against the Earthquake Recovery Minister.

Mr
Little said he understood people were feeling angry, but that there
were better ways to protest.

"I'm
not sure there's ever a time and place to throw a sludgy mix over
somebody's head," he said.

"But
in terms of making a protest, given this was a commemorative event,
we were talking about families who had lost loved ones and a city
that was trashed, and to use that as a time to protest in the way
that person did, I thought was entirely inappropriate."

The
service commemorated the fifth anniversary of the destructive 6.3
magnitude earthquake.

More
than 1000 people gathered at Christchurch's Botanic gardens for the
public ceremony.

They
heard from the Governor General, the leader of the Farmy Army, which
organised volunteers to help people clean up following the quakes and
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel.

Lessons from the Christchurch quakes: RNZ Checkpoint

John Campbell, throughout the 5 years has been there for the people of Christchurch, providing empathetic coverage and giving a voice to the people of the city.

Kudos, John.

Voices
of Christchurch: RNZ Checkpoint

Today,
February 22 2016, a service to mark the fifth anniversary of the
quake that killed 185 was held. More than a thousand people gathered
at the city's Botanic Gardens to remember the 185 lives lost.

John
Campbell spoke to the people of Christchurch

Not one of my favourite people ex-mayor Bob Parker makes a wonderful job of recollecting the day the earthquake struck and the initial response.Former
Mayor Bob Parker relives February 22 2011: RNZ Checkpoint

No
sleep, no water, no sewerage, liquefaction, collapsed hillsides and
bridges, trapped and badly injured people, a temporary morgue and
limited communications.

It
was a city on the brink.

That's
how former Mayor Sir Bob Parker recounts February 22 2011. He
remembers being hurled through the air when the quake hit, breaking
ribs as he fell and then trying to phone the Prime Minister in the
chaos.

The truest words of all came from the Wizard of Christchurch - they couldn't allow the signs of pain but came to remove the graffitti.